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Insurgence: The Benefactors
Insurgence: The Benefactors is the second chapter of the Insurgence serials, diving deeper into the character of Tagah and focusing on the rescue of Fatorak. Synopsis After Tagah's mission fails due to interference by Makuta Furtaan, he reflects on his history of his insane friend while plotting to recapture Fatorak. Meanwhile, Fa comes into the clutches of two Dark Hunters and finally meets their elusive Benefactor, who seemed rather interested in his work. Story Prologue Scene 1 Tagah slammed his desk as he saw as his monitor blank out. The last image he perceived was is of Furtaan, disrupting his precious mission, as the ship shook from the side. The makuta blew some antidermis gas through the holes of his mask, expressing his tiresome frustration. His eyes became thin through his shadowy mask, the red glow still peaking through like a thin crescent moon. “He was not always this incompetent,” Tagah noted to himself under his breath. “But that friend is gone. Now he is a traitorous madman.” Tagah turned from his screens, walking with heavy steps through the dim room he called his lair. It was shrouded mostly in red gasses rising from the ground of the room. A small stream of antidermis flowed as a jagged obstacle through the center of the room. Next to this was seen a table etched with small hexagons into it, as well as tiny bright stones. Towering over the hexagons was two large towers, which oversaw everything else on the island. Following Tagah seemed to have been another shadowy figure, which climbed down one of the walls behind him. The creature, with spikes down it’s spine and a snake-like face etched to look like a skull, slithered down the piping of the elusively-fabricated wall. It’s clawed fingers dug into the foreign material that made the structure of the room. Tagah came over to a hanger near one of his doors and took off a very lavish cloak, though it was tainted and tattered by the years of war it had once endured. The old Makuta threw it over his back, clicked the broach over his chest, and coughed a bit to himself as he placed his hand against the wall. “I have taken all of his responsibilities upon my shoulders,” Tagah admits as he looks into the shadows. The Rahkshi that followed him drops down from the wall and tip-toes toward it’s master, while Tagah walked over to his table portraying Draxia through hexagonal shapes. He leans on the desk, overlooking the landscape of the place. Tagah sighed. “It is not easy having to govern two islands. Of course, Furtaan had to stick me with the interesting ones.” The Makuta caressed his fingers over the two towers sticking up in the map. “One land that struggles with a pursuit of endless knowledge, and an annoying class struggle.” Tagah pressed a button next to him and looked at the hexagons on the table as they all slid to readjust the landscape. We see a more normal-looking island this time. “The other, riddled with fables and secrets so ingrained into their heartlights. It is no wonder these things drew my friend to look after them.” The Makuta took a step back and looked away from the table. His mind turned to the memories of a war that tore much of the universe into pieces. His eyes twitch as he remembered the clashing of sword and shield. With this, his mind delves into the past, showing a version of Tagah in lighter, more humble armor than he was in the present. He is marching, along with two other brightly-colored allies, through the desolate rubble that was Destral. The landscape was glowing with the material of antidermis splashed against the dark, burnt aspects of antidermis that had fallen before them. “They will all pay for this!” noted a green and black clad Makuta named Gorast. “We shall tear their sickly limbs tendon to tendon!” Furtaan objected to this statement. “Sister, your anger fuels your strength, but it also blinds your sword arm! This kind of behavior is going to lead you to be like these trails of antidermis that flow between our very toes!” “They need to meet the same fate,” Gorast protested. “Murdering one of our brothers is worthy of a thousand tortures!” Tagah stops marching and turns behind to look at the bickering Makuta. “Silence, both of you! This is a capture mission! No death shall be involved. As for the thousand tortures, dear Gorast, you shall be pleased to hear what the Order of Mata Nui plans on doing with them.” Gorast’s interest got piqued. “Are they-?” “Botar,” Tagah says, and then turns around again to continue marching. Gorast squealed a little bit afterword and became jumpy, her mind clearly thinking of the punishments the Barraki would eventually endure. After this, Tagah got to his knees and started to crawl, gesturing the other Makuta to do the same. Furtaan and Gorast ducked below to meet with Tagah. Slowly and surely, the Makuta inched behind fallen pillars of protodermis, until they spotted a black-clad barbarian silently skipping across the ground despite his heavy armor. “See him?” Tagah whispered. “How shall we take him?” Furtaan asks. Tagah paused a moment while his eyes still trailed Mantax. “He is rather keen. He will attack us stealthily. Keep your eyes sharp: we shall be the prey today.” “P-prey?” Furtaan stuttered. Tagah got himself up from the ground and raised his spear and shield. He began to run, charging toward Mantax. The Barraki looked behind himself, to find a Makuta rushing through the gravel and dust of the buried Destral and charging at him. Mantax quickly decided to fire an energy bolt at the Makuta, but Tagah dodged the fire. The Barraki then leaped into the air and dove into the ground. Tagah looked around, hearing motions going through the earth beneath him. The makuta squinted his eyes, eyeing the ground along with the soft sounds of digging. The digging then stopped, and Tagah broke into a moment of utter fear. “URK!” Tagah cried as Mantax grabbed him from above. The Barraki had apparently leaped from the ground silently. “HOLD STILL!” Gorast cried as she aimed her blaster. She fired a shot at Mantax as he was holding Tagah. Mantax threw Tagah aside as he dodged the blast. He dug into the ground again. Gorast starts firing at the ground when she hears it shift. However, Furtaan grabbed her arm and stilled her. “Be still and silent, and you’ll hear him,” Furtaan remarked. The ground shifted a few more times. Suddenly, Furtaan was pulled from the side as Mantax grabbed him. Then, the Barraki swirled Furtaan a few times around in the air and then proceeded to throw the bat-like Makuta against a few pillars of protodermis. Gorast rushed at him and places her arms around the neck of Mantax. However, the Barraki reacted to this and bent himself over to throw Gorast onto the ground. “Are you stupid as well?” Mantax asked as he stared at Tagah. “Run away.” Tagah, however, stood his ground. Mantax decided to dive into the ground again, shifting around. Tagah’s eyes darted across the ground as his mask began to be covered in a shadowy essence. Tagah then took a step to the left. “GRAH!” Mantax cried as he leaped from the earth. However, he was soon met with a foot in his face. Mantax skids across the ground. Then, his energy begins to be drained from him. His body starts to curl and twitch as Furtaan closes in on him. Then, Mantax stopped himself as his armor began to turn grey. He breathed heavily, staring at three Makuta now holding blasters at him, as well as Tagah sticking his spear into the Barraki’s side. Tagah looked to the Barraki strangely in a timid fashion as he held his spear firmly. “Halt, and surrender.” The Makuta’s mind stopped this memory from progressing, remembering that the present was still at hand. His Rahkshi, a Vohrak, slithered around his master as he saw the darting eyes of the old Makuta contemplating. “Forgive me, Vohrak, I was getting caught up in a dream,” Tagah noted. Tagah waved his fingers toward the Vohrak and started walking out of his lair and into a hallway. Here, the outside of the building could be clearly seen. It was high up, overlooking the dark parts of Draxia and overseeing the valley of monuments. “Come, I need to message Toa Kylerak. He needs to know what went on in Xia and dispatch the rest of his team to grab Collerak and Viatra and then go after those Dark Hunters. Meanwhile, I shall attend to protecting Cartrax. I am giving you the task to guard this tower. Do so with your life, my son.” Scene 2 The Karhi The Karhi Destiny Abated Where do you hide to? And why doesn't thy star dance across the night? You have abandoned destiny. Mata Nui no longer guides thee. Do you seek destruction? Does death draw you?Inferno was reading these words as he heard a vehicle begin to come to shore. He turned his head around toward the source of the sound. Then his body followed suit. Inferno made his way toward a hallway where he could see through a wide window a cavern with a narrow entrance. He watched a ship begin to sail into the docks within the cavern. Then, he turned back around swiftly so that his cloak could flail like a flag. “We are here!” Salis said on the ship. He opened up the door of the ship and jumped onto the platform that was the docks. He looked over to Carika and gestured with his finger for her to come. “Be still, little one,” Carika said. She picked Fa up and carried him out of the ship. Then she placed Fa onto the platform of the docks. Salis places his hands on Fa’s shoulders and looked to his partner in crime. “How much do you think the Benefactor is gonna pay us?” “Enough to cure me of… Whatever I turned into!” Carika growled. She gesticulated to show off her deformed, twisted body as a Dark Hunter. “Do you think we could get enough widgets for that?” “Sure,” Salis said unconvincingly. “I dunno why you’d want to. You’re more useful this way.” Carika frowned. “I’d like to be useful and beautiful, darling.” Fa uncomfortably waited as the two Dark Hunters began to bicker amongst themselves. He decided to look around the cavern. Though he did not spot much, he did see the cavern’s ceiling was wet on the top. There was a lack of stalactites hanging from the ceiling. In fact, it was almost smooth. His eyes twitched in response to a few drops of water dropping through the eye holes for his mask. “Can’t have the best of both,” Salis remarked toward Carika as he gently slid his hand down his face. “For example, you know this Kakama? They don’t make these things in normal orange colors.” “Why not?” Carika asked. Salis shrugged. “They just don’t. I just use it anyways, even if the color is wrong. It’s utility.” Salis ended his sentence with a grin and an eyebrow cock. “Are you going to use the widgets for a new mask?” Carika asked. “Not a bad idea. Could use something fancy. Tired of using armor chewed up by Muaka.” The Toa of Plasma takes out his protosteel sythe. Interestingly, it shows signs of melting, with bubbles being near the tip of the blade. He brings the bend of the blade around Fa’s neck. “Maybe sharpen this tool a bit. Sound good, little guy?” “Yeah, sounds great,” Fa uttered. “Haha!” Salis retracted the blade carefully from around Fa’s neck. “Didn’t even flinch. Want a go at this Carika?” Before Carika could even enter, they heard a metallic door start to open to the sound of a rumbling thunder. Two metallic gates inched across the ground, rumbling as they spread further from each other. In the midst of them a hunched individual tapped his Piraka-like toes onto the rocky ground. His body, tall in stature, sauntered over to the two Dark Hunters, regal in his strut. In due time he stopped in front of Fatorak and looked down upon him, gestured like one of a profound artist. It was at this moment that the bindings came off on Fa, but Salis held him down firmly. “I would hope they are not harassing you too much, Chronicler,” the artist said in a voice that resembled a whisper. “They were all I had to work with.” Fa examined the looming figure before him. Something seemed alien to him in nature. When he breathed, his muscles contracted violently under the armor; that was unusual behavior for anything in the universe. This led Fa to thinking the artist could be sick. Yet, he looked at his mask. Nothing was infected, and his armor was clean and tidy, though mismatched. What concerned Fa the most was the armor around his belly and chest. It lacked any organs or muscle tissue. It was like that of a corpse. When Fatorak looked at the creature in his eyes, he shriveled in fear. The artist turned his head. “There is no reason to be fearful, Chronicler. After all, in time, you’ll learn that you know me quite well.” The artist turned around and gestured his fingers. The Dark Hunters began to push Fa forward as they marched into the dark, metallic base. The doors in which the artist entered were large, metallic gates that seemed to have resemblance to doors in Metru Nui. Yet the halls they entered did not agree with that aesthetic. They were carved in elegant patterns, in the shapes of squares instead of the circular geometrics that Onu-Matoran obsessed over at Metru Nui. The columns were circular in shape, and hung on many of the walls were paintings. “What do you think?” the artist asked. “My halls are decked with ancient antiquity. Art from across the universe is stationed for any of my visitors to see. But you, Chronicler? I knew you would appreciate it most.” Fa felt a stinging in his chest the more the artist talked. “T-that was rather kind of you.” The artist looked back. “Do you not appreciate it?” “I do,” Fa replied. “But I’m disturbed.” The artist put his weight on his left hip and leaned. “I had hoped one of my biggest fans of my work would appreciate the author.” Fa’s eyes widened from a sudden revelation. “You’re Inferno?” “Haha!” Inferno laughed with a spring in his step. “Yes yes! In the flesh. And you are Fatorak, the Chronicler of Cartrax. How unorthodox, truly. A Po-Matoran interested in studying history instead of making it.” Fa blinked a few times in absolute astonishment. “I-I mean. I’m mostly interested in the ancient texts. I admire the literary structure of poetry and myths. Guess that was my calling.” “It is better than most of your kind,” Inferno noted with a slight grin. “Salis, Carika. Let him go. Let us treat our guest.” The two Dark Hunters let go of their grasps on Fatorak. Fatorak rubbed his arms. At first, his body tried to have an impulse to run. However, he second guessed himself, and stood in his place. “You have weird ways of finding guests,” Fa noted. Inferno raised his eyes and shook his head. “I had a feeling nobody would allow you to come here willingly. I did what I had to.” Inferno raised his arms wide open, pushing back his rugged cape. “But now you see we are friends!” Inferno turned around from Fa as he began walking down a corridor, with many engraved pillars close to each other. He rubbed his orange metallic hands against each of them. Fa decided to follow, looking at each of the pillars closely. He rubbed the bottom of his mask as he saw archaic inscriptions of Matoran verse running down each of them. “Where did you manage to find all of these pillars?” Fa asked. “They were like that when I found this place,” Inferno noted. “This wasn’t my home, initially. Pray tell, did those two hunters tell you what this place was?” “Not that I recall.” “Good,” Inferno mused. “I am glad to do the honors, then.” Inferno strut towards Fa and places his hands on his shoulders. Fa became uncomfortable with this gesture at first. In response, Inferno lightened his grip and breathed lighter. “This is the Temple of Destiny,” said Inferno in a quiet yet excited voice. “Your new home.” “New… Home?” Fa asked cautiously, “Yes!” Inferno cried in a bout of excitement. “Just imagine! You and me, the greatest chroniclers of the universe, working together in the home of Aranu! Studying him and finally completing the entirety of his legend!” Inferno took a quick breath between his excitement. “You can complete your destiny, Fatorak. Complete your chronicles.” The last word echoed in Fatorak’s mind, drawn out and stretched beyond its original comprehension. The chronicler’s throat became dry, while the image of a Turaga of Ice, wearing a grey Hau, flashed before him. The Turaga gave him a book gently. In his hands, Fa grabbed the book and flipped through it, seeing blank pages. “Do this one thing for me,” the Turaga of Ice said gently. “Remember your duty as Chronicler, forget not the unity of legends, and do not stray from your destiny. I trust you, and only you, with these legends.” “Only you”. Only you. Those words rung in Fatorak’s head as the image of a grey Hau faded from him. Instead, it was replaced by the giddy gesturing of Inferno. “Why so hesitant?” Inferno asked. Fa looked down from Inferno. “I can’t.” “Can’t?” Inferno asked. “I don’t trust you,” Fa said as he turned his head upward. Inferno lost his mode of excitement. Instead, he stood up and looked down at the Po-Matoran in front of him. He nods as Fa turns his open hands into fists, and stands against him, shivering. “You had me kidnapped by Dark Hunters,” Fa stated, “and those hunters hurt my friends. You expect me to suddenly join you because you’re treating me nicely? And you don’t even look real! You expect me to suddenly join you in all of this? Even with a fancy temple like this, I can’t just put aside my caution.” Inferno stood silently for a second. “Yes, I see that.” His body began to slump and loosen as his eyebrows frowned. “But that won’t do.” “HURK!” In one moment, Fa was feeling brave and saw a disappointed Inferno. In the next, the eyes of a bloodthirsty monster looked at him, crushing his neck. Inferno sucked in some of his breath, which made a horrendous hissing noise. “No, it won’t do at all. Salis, Carika. Come.” The two Dark Hunters, who were leaning against some of the pillars, rush toward Inferno, who had Fa in his grasp. Fa tried to fight back, but it proved to be ineffective. Inferno shook his head in disappointment as Fa’s heartlight started to dim. “The constitution of this one is pathetic, wouldn’t you two agree?” Inferno asked mockingly. Salis placed his thumb near the vocal port of his mask. “He was a pushover.” “Little brat could be squished as easily as a Fikou,” Carika uttered. Inferno throws Fatorak to the ground. “Yes, he is quite pathetic. His devotion to Mata Nui is revolting.” Fa coughed and groaned as he tried to get back up on his own feet. Inferno, however, placed his leg on Fa’s back and pinned him to the ground. He leaned down, continuing to speak to Fa in his pretentious whispers. “The chronicler doesn’t even understand the history he records,” Inferno mused. “We’re going to correct that. Carika, bind him.” Inferno took his foot off of Fa. Then, Carika aimed her stinger tail at Fatorak and fired an energy bolt. Fa was bound once more, unable to move against the green energy bolts starting to surround his body. Inferno only responded with a shake from his head, and then, in dramatic fashion, turned sharply around, waving his cape in the air. He walked down the dark corridor of the temple, while things began to fade into darkness for Fa. ~~ “Fatorak…” Fa’s eyes opened from a sudden jolt coming across the entirety of his body. His head perked up from the hard floor he was was laid upon. The first thing that the poor chronicler noticed was how cold it was inside of his small, newfound cell. He was locked inside a box of a red energy that had pulses that moved down and around it’s flat exterior like rain on a window. Underneath him was a stone surface. Fa’s eyes looked around the room and saw darkness beyond the box. Not any single other wall could be seen. Fa had realized the exterior was nothing but a endless, terrifying void. A heaviness came to his his chest and spread toward his arms and legs. “Oh Mata Nui, why?” Fa asked. He began to curl into a ball and shoved his face at his legs. “Fatorak…?” Fa did not listen to the raspy voice that was trying to contact him. His mind was busy listing the possibilities that could come to him. Perhaps Inferno was going to force him into his bondage? Perhaps he would be left to the discretion of the Dark Hunters? Fa was not very excited about the ideas Carika had that she would consider “fun”. “Listen to me, little one!” Fa’s mind was taken away from the terrors of a Dark Huntress’ torture and saw the flashing of a Kanohi Avsa coming to his mind. Fa blinked, and then relaxed his body. He could hear the voice and ramblings of a raspy tone coming to his mind. “We are far apart, Matoran. Yet our minds are connected. The Great Spirit has more in store for us.” “Get out of my mind Furtaan,” Fatorak demanded. “You were the one who got me into this mess!” The voice paused for a moment. Fa laid back down onto the cold ground and stared up at the energy cell’s ceiling. He placed his hand on his belly and sighed. The Avsa stared into his eyes, not avoiding the look of the Makuta. “You are alone, aren’t you?” Furtaan asked telepathically. “Yes,” Fa answered. “And where are you?” “Alone as well,” Furtaan answered. “I hope you still have those chronicles on you, Fatorak.” Fa closes his eyes and blew air out from the holes in his mask. As he felt around for his bag, he found nothing. “Gone,” Fa answered. “I suppose Inferno took them.” “Inferno?” Furtaan asked. “Surely you lie, little one! I hope you lie!” “You’re digging around in my mind,” Fa said. “I’m sure you can find the answer.” “Gah!” Furtaan exclaimed. “That scoundrel! Always running and hiding when his crimes are uncovered. He is not who he says he is, Matoran.” Fa rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I kinda figured that out when he tried to strangle me.” “Not before? Not when you saw the pulsation of his chest, the heaviness of his form, and the struggle of his stance?” Furtaan’s voice faded to Fa in the last few words. Fa frowned as he tilted his head. “You’ve met him.” “Not even a ‘him’ I think,” Furtaan grumbled. “An ‘it’, a creature Mutran would strap to his metal table and cut open and examine. Nothing like Tren Krom, nor the Dracons. He is something else. Something beyond our understanding. Not bound by destiny, nor built by the Great Beings I’d say.” “What exactly would he be?” Fa asked. “He wore a Kanohi Arthron. I don’t know of any intruders who could access Kanohi powers.” The voice in Fa’s head stopped once again. Fa placed his hands behind his head and began to think of things. He shook his head. “He’s not Karhi,” Fa said. “Right?” “No, no!” Furtaan exclaimed. “I… I don’t know what he is.” As the conversation came to a halt, Fa heard the thunderous noise of a door. He saw a blinding light come through, with a hunched figure as a silhouette against the light coming near to him. The figure took out a remote device. The cell suddenly disappeared for Fa. A loud breathing is what the figure first said to Fa. Fa began to come onto his feet as Inferno began to circle him. Inferno dragged a protosteel sword behind himself, creating a scratching noise against the stone surface. “What did you come here for?” Fa asked. Inferno flipped his sword around and slapped the blade onto his open left hand. He admired the blade and rubbed his rustic, orange hands against it. Then, he pushed the sword toward Fa and let him hold it. “Friendship,” Inferno stated. Fa rejected the sword from Inferno. “There’s something more to this.” Inferno sighed and swung his sword as to be pointed toward the ceiling. He nodded and removed some of his cloak, revealing the further skeletal structure of his body. He tilted his head as Fa looked in astonishment. “Yes there is. I want an audience, Fatorak. An audience for my kind. That is what you were discussing, yes?” “What? How did you hear-?” Fa asked. “I didn’t,” Inferno answered. “But your responses were loud and clear. I could guess the rest.” Inferno rubbed some of the skeletal structure of his body as it began to glow a bright orange. “As you can see, I am far more biological than even you.” “What are you?” Fa asked. “Death,” Inferno stated. Fa stopped in his tracks. He tried to speak, but couldn’t say anything. The sudden answer from Inferno made it impossible for him to say a word. “Me and my kind are death,” Inferno claimed. “Invaders to the goodness of the world, yet terribly necessary. We were buried and forgotten.” Fa, almost in disgust, asked another question toward Inferno. “There are more of you?” “Where else did I come from?” Inferno asked. “Me and my brethren were trapped under the earth while those above us lived in a paradise. My brothers grew envious. But me?” Inferno took his sword and began to lean on it as a prop from the ground. “I valued what was forgotten,” Inferno mused. “In the caverns I dug up books, tools, weapons, armor, anything I could get my hands on. History was my friend.” “What did you do with your knowledge?” Fa asked. Inferno smiled. “I conquered.” “You won’t tell me much I take it,” Fa said. Inferno closed his eyes and breathed as a hiss. “These tales were already chronicled. Not here, but elsewhere. Here I need something.” “The Kanohi Karhi,” Fa guessed. “The Mask of Destinies,” Inferno nodded. “The foundations of creation itself. You just do not understand it. It has not happened yet, after all.” “Is that why you wanted my chronicles?” Fa asked. “So you can locate the mask? It’s a dangerous item.” “Not to me,” Inferno answered. “I am not restricted by your infallible programming. I assure you, it will be of no detriment to me. It would even be better if I took it, for all of you.” Fa crossed his arms and lowered his head. “We don’t even know if it actually exists, Inferno. All these tales I’m writing? They’re just legends. Myths. Nothing factual!” “Don’t tell me that you, a native to Karhi-Nui, truly believe that,” Inferno commanded in anger. “You know the mask is real. You shall lead me to it.” “Me?!” Fa asked. “Yes. That was my purpose for bringing you here. It was my purpose for hiring those Dark Hunters in the first place. I worked all night with your chronicles, Fa.” Inferno walked slowly towards Fa and leaned down to him. “Would you like to meet your idol?” The world swirled around Fa as thoughts of virtues and thoughts of glory came to him. The words and grey mask of Turaga Komatri once again rang in his sound receptors. Louder this time, in fact. Louder than a memory should. “Yes,” Fa finally stated. The voice went away. Inferno smiled wickedly. “I had hoped so. Come, Fatorak. Help me find Aranu.” Fa was taken out of the dark room from where Inferno came. Finally seeing the light, Fa smiled and took his steps into the decorated halls once again. Scene 3 Furtaan gasped for air as a telepathic connection with Fa was ended. The darkened clouds came back to Furtaan’s sight above him. Tilting his head, he saw he could see most of Xia’s city section from afar, on top of a mountain. The Mountain, he soon discovered. He got back onto his footing and lurched over the ground of the summit. “One headache is enough for today,” Furtaan noted to himself. He hunched and tilted his head. “Wouldn’t you think so, Toa?” Behind Furtaan was Collerak and Viatra, with their masks removed, tied up together in magnetic constraints back-to-back. Collerak tried to budge in his restrictions, but it did nothing good. He sighed and closed his eyes. “You’re the headache,” Viatra noted. Furtaan did not look back to the grumbling Toa. “Just admire the view then, pessimistic one. You’re not getting off this mountain.” “There’s nothing to look at,” Viatra grumbled. “It’s Xia. It’s just full of brown.” “Brown is a lovely color,” Furtaan stated. “Fatorak is brown.” Collerak nodded. “Yeah, that Po-Matoran you haven’t even been searching for. What good is keeping us tied up? We were supposed to protect him and now you put him in danger. Brilliant planning.” Furtaan coughed and finally turned around from Collerak. “I was about to go searching for him. Farewell, Toa. Enjoy the view.” Furtaan spread his wings and leaped off the summit of the mountain. He avoided a few tentacles that tried to take him. Within a few seconds he was out of sight to the weakened Toa. “I’m glad he is gone,” Viatra said with a shake of her head. “Same here,” Collerak said. “Now here’s a question: how do we get off this deadly Mountain?” Collerak turned his body to his side in the constraints. He saw a Kanohi Kualsi and a Huna laid to the side, rather sloppily. Collerak tries to move, but it dragged Viatra along as well. “Woah, stop stop!” Viatra exclaimed. “What are you doing?” “Trying to get our masks,” Collerak answered. “Work with me here.” “No, this is a little too close for comfort,” Viatra said. “I’m sure some Vortixx will climb up here and see us right? They’d release these magnetic bolts right?” Collerak looked to Viatra beside him with a dull expression and a slight head tilt. Viatra sighed and loosened her body. With quick work, the Toa managed to move their legs and torsos to scoot over to the masks. Collerak then leaned to his side, bringing Viatra up into the air. “Did you get it?” Viatra asked? Collerak began to scoot his face into his Kualsi. “Almost…” “Looking at the sky is making me queasy,” Viatra complained. “Does it rain acid here or something?” “Pretty sure,” Collerak said under his breath. “And that’s what we need to aim for!” Collerak finally got his face into his mask. A surge of energy went through his body as his armor went back to it’s green colorizations. As soon as this happened, Viatra noticed the sky turning away from her and she was shoved into the ground. She could see her mask a few inches away. “Your turn,” Collerak noted. “Then we can get out of here.” Viatra hesitated a moment. “You know it really is a nice view up here.” “Come on, Viatra.” Viatra sighed and closed her eyes as she used her legs to push herself toward her mask. Colleak worked against her at her back, allowing momentum in the gravel. She finally got to the mask and slipped her face into it. A wave of blue came over her body as she became more energized. “Alright,” Collerak said, “now on the count of three, let’s get back up.” Collerak counted down. As he got to the last number, they both jolted their bodies back up to the sitting position. The Toa then looked up to the sky and stared. “Do you really want to use the rain?” Viatra asked. “I’d like to get rid of these bolts,” Collerak said. “No need to get it on your armor, let’s just center it on our bolts.” The Toa had their masks glow as they reached into the sky. The clouds, though brown, began to thicken above them and swirled. The winds blew against Collerak and Viatra rather heavily. The clouds began to sprinkle down some of the acidic water. “Now focus it!” Collerak commanded. Viatra managed to have the rain move around Collerak and herself as it began to pelt their metallic constraints. The constraints began to get eaten away with more and more drops, until Collerak managed to finally start pulling himself. He reached one of his arms off from Viatra’s, then another. Then, he raised one of his legs, and kicked behind himself. Both him and Viatra were pushed away from each other and skid into the ground from the force of the removal. “Ow,” Viatra complained. “Hey, are we free?” Collerak got himself up from the gravel. “Not yet. We got to get off this mountain now.” Viatra came to her feet. “That’s not so hard right? Just a few tentacles, razor blades, and chasms to avoid. Heh.” “Most Vortixx don’t survive this journey,” Collerak duly noted. “That’s reassuring,” Viatra said as she peered down the side of the Mountain. Collerak also decided to take a look. It seemed to be a steep climb, and the dangers were quite clear. As Collerak was looking down, a male Vortixx was in the process of climbing. However, a razor came behind him and began to try to eat at his armor. The Vortixx cried in pain and let go of the ledge of the mountain, where he fell to his death in a chasm. “By the will of Mata Nui we’ll make it,” Collerak said. “Follow me.” ~~ “Carefully,” Collerak warned to Viatra as he helped her down the slope. “This Mountain has been known to eat people.” “That’s good to know,” Viatra said under her breath. The two Toa carefully made it down the slope. Though they met no obstacles at first, only seeing the shifting earth of the ever-changing and ferocious mountain. The ground was gravely at the top of the mountain, though cracks were founder underneath it all. Spirals of rock made powerful columns. One could definitely tell the Mountain was a living creature. Toa Viatra took a short lead, descending from the face of a cliff and sliding carefully down the side of the wall. However, she soon saw a chasm open several bios under her. Because of this, she bounded off the wall and managed to leap carefully down to a small part of the summit. Collerak followed her using his Mask of Quick-Travel and teleported next to her. “Need help getting around?” Collerak asked. Viatra got back on her feet. “Can you teleport us both next time?” “Was going to,” Collerak said. “But you decided to go down first. Come on.” As Collerak tried to pick her up, a stone column suddenly jutted between them, reaching for the sky. The two began to get separated on small stone platforms. The Mountain began to rumble, and the Toa started to lose their footing. Viatra made another jump, clinging onto a stone platform. “I wish Mikeku was here!” Viatra cried. Collerak used his mask power to get off his platform and teleport to more steady ground. Viatra followed Collerak, jumping off the stone column and landing on more thicker ground. However, their victory did not last long. As soon as they joined back together, several tentacles began to surround them. Collerak took out his Great Air Staff and began to swirl it around. A whirlwind surrounded the two Toa. The tentacles tried to enter the whirlwind, but as Collerak swirled it more, the tentacles began to knot up. “Great move,” Viatra noted. Collerak took Viatra’s shoulder, and his mask glowed. They managed to teleport about half a kilometer away. The mountain responded by creating a wall of stone to stop them in their tracks. Tentacles burst out of the wall of stone and began to surround the Toa. Collerak jerked his head back and saw another wall started to try and surround them. “Viatra?” Collerak asked in the heat of the moment. “Mata Nui protect us,” Viatra responded. Suddenly, the stone began to morph, and the wall tore into two. Two claws burst through the wall, and a spider crawled through it. A black-armored figure wearing a Kanohi Pokaka, the Mask of Depth, poked his arms through the wall and yanked Collerak and Viatra through. “Not Mata Nui, but something better!” Quiller exclaimed. Collerak laughed in joy. “Tagah sent you guys after us!” “Furtaan being here bothered him,” Quiller noted. “Kylerak and the others are here too! Come on!” The wall crumbled while tentacles tried to take Collerak and Viatra’s feet. Quiller began to use his strength to pull the Toa from the grasp of the Mountain. However, tentacles began to take him too, and he lost his grip. “No!” Quiller cried. However, Quiller and the two other Toa began to get lifted up into the air. Meanwhile, bolts of ice began to get shot at the tentacles, freezing up their joints and causing them to shatter some of the armor. Then, a blaze of fire began to overtake some of the other parts of the Mountain. Toa Mikeku, the hero of stone, brought Collerak, Quiller, and Viatra toward him as his great mask glowed. He placed them on the ground, and then readied his Toa tool as more tentacles came his way. He thrashed through some of them with his heavy weapon. Further away, Toa Nuhi began using his great saw to start cutting through the tentacles. “I hate this Mountain,” Nuhi exclaimed. “Everyone does!” said a ferocious voice from behind. Kylerak, the Toa of Fire, began to swirl his flames around himself as acid grass started to grow around him. Nuhi kicked another tentacle. “Everything the Makuta touch worsens!” The Toa began to flee further down the Mountain. They regrouped as the pathway became harder and harder to traverse. Yet the Toa prevailed. With the powers of Quiller and Mikeku, the earth began to bend to their whim. Kylerak blazed through different obstacles, like roots trying to entangle the group. Toa Collerak blasted through rock structures using the acid of his staff. Viatra and Nuhi began to work together as more and more of the Mountain tried to engulf them. The Toa managed to finally see the base of the summit as they came to one final chasm. It looked about two kilometers long. In response, Toa Mikeku lifted the rest of the team with his Mask of Telekinesis. “Are you sure you want to stay behind?” Kylerak questioned. “Don’t worry about me, I can handle myself!” Mikeku noted. The rest of the Toa Karhi were safely placed on the other end of the chasm. Mikeku soon got surrounded by several stalactites, but using his flail, he managed to burst through it all. With a mighty leap and the manipulation of stone around him, he started to fall in the air, nothing under him. “Mikeku!” cried Kylerak. Yet the Toa of Stone was crafty. Under his feet he levitated stones, which he carefully jumped across as gravity tried to work against him. As he took the final stone, he made another jump and landed on the edge of the chasm. Quiller managed to catch him and pulled him to be with the rest of the group, “HA! Scared us for a second there brother!” Quiller laughed. Mikeku took a few deep breaths. “I won’t try that stunt again!” The Toa regrouped and put all their fists together. Collerak wiped the dust off of himself, while Viatra started removing rubble that got caught underneath her armor. She smacked some of it away. “We were going to be stuck guckos,” Viatra said. “I’m glad you guys came when you did.” “It was just as dangerous going up as it was going down,” Kylerak noted. Kylerak looked at his staff and began to noticed some of it was scratched. “It is Mata Nui’s providence that any of us survived.” “The Makuta sent us on a death mission,” Nuhi noted. “Both for Collerak and Viatra and the rest of us.” “Things just went out of hand,” Kylerak answered. “I doubt Tagah could have anticipated Furtaan’s presence.” Nuhi shook his head as he sat down on rock. “Both Furtaan and Tagah have intruded on matters that shouldn’t have been theirs. Once again we got a taste of what Makuta have done with this Mountain. Now they went and involved themselves in a war with the Dark Hunters. They have ruined everything they touched.” “Last time I checked Tagah was the one who created our group,” Kylerak responded. Nuhi looked at his blade. “And he’s sent us on missions beyond our control, Kylerak. How safe is Cartrax right now?” “Safe enough,” Kylerak responded. “The Turaga and the guard are adequate enough!” “Don’t forget that our chronicler is out somewhere being tortured by Dark Hunters, I’m sure,” Collerak added. “This is our duty, Nuhi.” “Fa is one Matoran,” Nuhi objected. “Yet there are thousands back home. It’s our duty to protect them too. Does one chronicler have value over the rest of Mata Nui’s creation?” Kylerak waved his staff. “You ignore the value of Fatorak then. He is our friend, our preserver of history. I will not stand for this argument of frail morality. It’s a distraction of the duty given to us, and I expect all of us to follow it.” Nuhi silenced himself while the rest of the Toa stared at him. The Toa all readied themselves as Kylerak began to walk down the streets of Xia, in silence. Collerak was the first to follow him, while the rest followed Collerak. Nuhi was, notably, the last to get up and follow Kylerak. Characters *Barraki **Mantax *Dark Hunters **Carika **Salis *Inferno *Makuta **Furtaan **Gorast **Tagah *Matoran **Fa *Toa **Kylerak **Collerak **Viatra **Mikeku **Quiller **Nuhi *Rahkshi **Tagah's Vohrak Trivia *BIONICLEToa was really looking forward to writing a sequence with Tagah going against Mantax in the past, as he wanted to enforce his military background. *This chapter, BIONICLEToa decided to try and improve his writing and become a little more vivid and concise, as well as describe things better. Category:Insurgence